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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. capital — a city
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. present — there
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — a gift
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — to confront
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com